


the one where michael is an android

by PastelMogar, reptilianraven



Series: mckinzie and bird make aus [1]
Category: Be More Chill - Iconis/Tracz
Genre: Alternate Universe - Robots & Androids, M/M, Not!Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-19
Updated: 2018-01-19
Packaged: 2019-03-06 16:51:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13415511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PastelMogar/pseuds/PastelMogar, https://archiveofourown.org/users/reptilianraven/pseuds/reptilianraven
Summary: Michael is a defective android who gets shut down and locked away in a dusty basement for years. Jeremy is the scientist who finds him. Also there's evil mind control shenanigans, a cat, an eternal supply of candles, a love story, and a whole lot more.





	the one where michael is an android

**Author's Note:**

> **PLEASE READ** : THIS IS NOT (technically) A FIC. it's a compilation of every convo mckinzie lee pastelmogar and i had about an au where michael is an android. with that in mind, this whole piece is a back and forth of concepts with fic scenes generously interspersed throughout and a lil dash of retconning here and there. since this was basically mckinzie and i fuckin around before we got emo as hell and plunged into the abyss, expect a whole lot of self indulgence and general Because It's Fucking Fun through this thing. 
> 
> this was originally posted on tumblr as a gdoc link ([which can be found here](http://actualbird.tumblr.com/post/169756739067/the-android-au)), but for easier accessibility and more organized commenting, it's here now too. 
> 
> general timeline  
> -Michael is made and shut down in 1973. Jeremy finds him in 2023  
> -FRIENDSHIP. CAT. DOMESTIC SHENANIGANS. MAKEOUTS. THEY AINT EVEN “DATING” YET. SO MUCH HAPPENS  
> -The Squipcident  
> -Aftermath
> 
> whos who  
> -pastelmogar = mckinzie/pastelmogar/a big festive gay  
> -reptilianraven = bird/actualbird
> 
> with that, i hope you enjoy!!!! -bird
> 
> i died 4 times coding this -mckinzie

10/29/2017  
  
pastelmogar

  * bIRD!
  * I thought of Another au that makes slightly more sense than a roadtrip au
  * and it’s Really subject to change, but Michael as a robot???
  * he doesn’t Have to be a robot, but that was what originally popped into my mind, but I just Really wanna play on Michael’s interest for things made in the 90’s
  * so Michael as a robot that was made in the 80’s/90’s but was never activated for some reason
  * and Jeremy finds him
  * idk where??
  * but Jeremy finds him
  * and I think canonically, bmc takes place /some/ time in the future?
  * like not to far in the future, maybe ten, twenty years, but it just makes Michael look even Older than he would to us
  * he’s like, 40 year old tech
  * and Michael collecting things from the 80’s and 90’s is almost his way of learning about that time period?
  * at least if he wasn’t activated then
  * if Michael was created, activated, then shut down, it’d be a sadder thing
  * like Michael’s reminiscing
  * Jeremy also teaching Michael about new tech?
  * is a cool concept
  * bUT THATS LITERALLY ALL I HAVE FOR THIS AU SO FAR
  * THE BASIS IS ALREADY REALLY WEIRD TOO



actualbird

  * also mmMMMMM ROBOT MICHAEL
  * i cant help but think that is set in an au world where android tech manage to progress p fast and michael was one of the first line of human looking android robots
  * but the reason he was shut down was due to a glitch that made his programming.....eerily human. michael could laugh and joke and he could feel /sad/ and by that point his creators knew they fucked up. you cant have a machine that can feel
  * so they shut him down and shove him in deep down in a dusty room in the laboratory
  * im in a slightly sad mood rn so i guess im taking it out on michael. right before he's shut down, right before he figures out that thats what his creator's we're going to do, he looks at them and he looks like hes going to cry. but they didnt build him tear ducts (those were only added in 2013, for added realism). 
  * "please dont," michael said. and that solidified the decision. you cant have a machine that can /plead/
  * jeremy!!! is an aspiring android engineer in the bright year of 2037!! (im making years up as im going hkjdfhkds)
  * after a high school hell, he works his ass off in college and lands an internship at the android corporation that started it all back in the 80s
  * the corporation is now working on new tech. androids are so old school. theyre working on a robot that can assist humans from the //inside//. jeremy feels so honored to be here :)
  * ANYWAY jeremy gets tasked to go through and archive old files that were printed into the database and it's slow menial work but he does it. spends his days between file shelves and dusty halls
  * and one day he gets. lost. this building is so so big and it's like a labyrinthe and he stumbles upon a really old looking lab and hes freaking out because AGH spooky but also YO!! he recognizes so much of the tech here!! hes always been a sucker for old school tech. it's what got him into engineering in the first place, that first line of androids
  * and then there, in the corner, hunched over, is michael
  * jer is kinda just in awe, and he just pokes around michael's unmoving body. then idk he accidentally presses something
  * and then michael whirs to life
  * GOSH michael's eyes (old tech, jesus, can it even see? jeremy thinks) blink open and focus (jeremy can hear the shutter. //old tech//) on jeremy
  * jeremy scrambles back. "UHHHHH" and michael just keeps blinking. jeremy thinks hes busted before michael smiles, and he smiles with so much /life/. when androids smile, it's usually cold and too perfect. michael smiles a little lopsided , a little silly, and completely endearing.
  * "hi, im michael!" michael says. and thats how michael gets rebooted after years
  * mffff sorry im rambling now but michael's og creators kept wiping michael's memory drive in hopes of getting rid of michael's emotions glitch. it never worked. in fact, it just added more glitches. michael talks too fast and always fidgets and has a terrible attention span
  * they wipe his memory after they shut him down, so michael doesnt know what happened to him. he doesnt know why hes in an old laboratory. but he does know that jeremy is a cool guy!!!
  * michael was designed as a companion bot, so his programmed imperative is quite literally just to keep people company. his glitch made it so that he goes beyond company and into straight up friendship
  * jeremy is ridiculously intrigued also, after the first Holy Fuck What moment he realizes he loves talking to michael. hes a really cool and fun guy (bot?)
  * jeremy doesnt know why michael is deep in a basement either, but he knows that only secrets are hidden like that. in spite of this, he wants to get michael out. the guy's been here for //years//. also jeremy can see a whole lot of parts on michael that are in great need of a tune up and he cant do that here
  * and thats how jeremy sneaks michael out of the lab in the middle of the night. JEREMY REALLY HOPES HE DOESNT LOSE HIS JOB
  * then he'd realize with horror the moment michael steps out that. michael's never been outside. ever.
  * "jeremy! thats the moon! look at it, it looks so fuckin cool!"
  * "this snail is so gnarly what the hell"
  * "jeremy jeremy jeremy look im in a puddle"
  * michael can absolutely plug into other tech to learn stuff but holy hell, has technology advanced since the 80s. he gets overloaded really easily and sticks to the old stuff jeremy has lying around his apartment



pastelmogar

  * AAAAAAAAAAAAA THIS IS ALLL BLESSED YOOOOOO
  * I JUST WOKE UP, HAHSGAH, AND THIS WAS SUCH A /GIFT/
  * there's something about android aus I love so much, bc they're always.... Inherently sad?
  * like the whole concept that an AI can have human emotions and think for itself is
  * A Lot



actualbird

  * sffhjkhkjh gmorning!!



pastelmogar

  * hI!!!



actualbird

  * and god oh god yeah android aus always tug at my heartstrings so much fffff
  * michael is an AI who got emotions and basically got told he was a mistake for it. which. at least he doesnt remember
  * yet
  * //BANGIN POTS AND PANS. PAIN. I APOLOGIZE



pastelmogar

  * DUDE THERE HAS TO BE PAIN
  * It's like Built Into these aus, holy shit
  * I remember reading an android au and just like, watching the main character fall in love with the AI and being so crushed when he realized this?
  * bc the AI is... A Thing. Owned by the corporation. A corporation that can do whatever it wants to the AI
  * they could tell him to destroy it and he'd /have to/



actualbird

  * fffFFFFFFFFFF. MY HEART CRIES



pastelmogar

  * doing things in the name of science to try and improve it and idk? if Michael has sensory nerves or things like that, but it was always really sad when they had to do those things



actualbird

  * god thatd be. michael. but everybody forgot about him. and jeremy keeps him secret cuz he /knows/ that theres something off program about michael and that if the corporation found out about him running, theyd shut him down. theyd scrap him
  * me, protecting michael from the entire world with a knife: FIGHT ME



pastelmogar

  * HES A GOOD BOT



actualbird

  * also me: michael has a very huge phobia of being switched off.



pastelmogar

  * He Does



actualbird

  * even when it's just for a few minutes. jeremy really wants to fix/replace michael's eyes because michael is basically BLIND
  * but he cant do that while michael is online and jeremy unthinkingly reaches for the panel behind michael's neck and michael just
  * jerks back. he fucking /cowers/



pastelmogar

  * /god I love this/



actualbird

  * "please dont" michael says. (and he feels such a sense of deja vu. what happened? whats that blank space in his brain?)
  * jeremy's never been a violent person but he cant help but wanna punch whoever shoved michael in a basement for years alone.
  * jeremy has to be really careful with his words. he says he'll never switch michael off. ever.
  * which is how he ends up making glasses for a robot hdljhsdjfkdsf
  * "jeremy, holy shit, i thought the world was honestly just blurry all the time, you saved my LIFE"



pastelmogar

  * gOD, they're thick as hell
  * an inch of glass
  * fucking magnifying glasses



actualbird

  * jeremy's working on a college budget and scrapped parts from auto shops. michael will have to deal with these glasses
  * (michael loves them SO MUCH)



pastelmogar

  * I also really like the concept that Michael can plug into other shit, but only to an extent?
  * like whatever port that allows him to do that is V old and like you said, it's probably overwhelming to do that?
  * and something about Michael being so old school and how it makes him... his own thing?
  * im having trouble finding the words, but I think most androids can just be manipulated and changed Super Easily, but Michael isint like that?
  * like Yes, he can be shut off and have parts replaced and have his AI changed, but it can't be done nearly as easily as it can be with androids today
  * aND MICHAEL MEETING
  * A 21ST CENTURY ANDROID
  * idk if Jeremy would Have one or what but he meets one and tries to engage in a conversation with it and it's just...



actualbird

  * OHHH GOSH!!



pastelmogar

  * so dry?
  * and Michael kind of realizes through this experience that he's got glitches
  * that he's flawed
  * just picks up pieces of why he was shut down



actualbird

  * -hdkfjd the new plug ports have made connecting to tech a pain. jeremy has to buy adaptors from online it's so funny omg.
  * -I LOVE!! how michael's outdated tech is actually a huge advantage. his coding is a mess tbh but because of that he cant be changed by anybody but himself (his creators tried and tried to change and "fix" him but. nothing)
  * and OOOOOOHH MY GOSH :(((



pastelmogar

  * and he's... really kinda bummed out after that but he won't tell Jeremy



actualbird

  * michael would ask jeremy why androids these days are like That. and jer would just shrug and say, thats how they all are. and michael would think. thats not. how. i am.
  * ffffff michael would dream



pastelmogar

  * [eyes emoji]



actualbird

  * like michael doesnt sleep, but he has an idle power saving mode he uses at night



pastelmogar

  * what does he dream about, bird?? :0c



actualbird

  * he'd dream of those bits in his memory that were scrubbed away but the afterimages remained. he'd remember sensations (hands at his shoulders, holding him down on the table) words (just hold still, p1. youve got a bug, but we'll get it out. defective. wipe it again. maybe we should just shut it down for good)
  * and those are the dreams that have him shocking fully back online, waiting for the sun to rise and for jeremy to wake up
  * but he has nicer dreams now too
  * snapshots of jeremy laughing. the feeling of sunlight on his skin. jeremy's hands, always so gentle, tuning up here and there.



pastelmogar

  * since that first attempt to fix Michael, Jeremy is always asking Michael if he's okay with him doing things
  * always lets Michael know when he's about to touch him



actualbird

  * michael forgets a lot of things (and jeremy's fixing that too. he's an engineer, but he's been getting help from christine, a comp sci major more specialized with coding. he wants to make sure michael remembers everything he wants to.) but he'll never forget how jeremy looked like the first time michael rebooted
  * oh gooooosh //sobs in2 hands



pastelmogar

  * im emo???????
  * like gOD
  * the Squip?
  * I'm imagining Michael having to fight the Squip and I love but also hate it



actualbird

  * HHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
  * //KNIFE EMOJI AT SQUIP



pastelmogar

  * because Jeremy volunteering as the first one to try it out?



actualbird

  * i was tryna figure out what the squip could possibly be
  * HHFHFHFHSJFSJHDKJFDSKJ
  * MY SON



pastelmogar

  * and like what happens in the the play, it just
  * infects Everyone
  * Somehow
  * idk how it'd do that, but I feel like it would
  * and Michael having to navigate his way to the laboratory by himself and he gets there and it's all So fucking terrible
  * the Squip works most efficiently through Jeremy but it has less control over the people it infects



actualbird

  * ffff i liked to think that the squip was
  * -the grey oblong pill that the corp was making
  * -a smooth looking higher up in the corp who is maybe jeremy's boss
  * -a virus that can also infect /androids
  * me, sobbing: MICHAEL MAKES AN ENTRANCE



pastelmogar

  * IT CAN AND ITS LIKE TERRIFYING HOW EASILY IT DOES THAT
  * THEY JUST SWITCH
  * IMMEDIATELY
  * DROP WHATEVER THEYRE DOING AND BECOME HOSTILE



actualbird

  * the squip fucking HATES michael because his code is sofucking old hes basically immune



pastelmogar

  * Michael walks into the building that first time and Immediately runs into one of these possessed androids



actualbird

  * and michael would be terrified but. jeremy saved him. gave him a life. a memory. a home. he's not letting a stupid evil pill snuff out the best person michael's ever met
  * androids these days r a lil fragile tbh. theyre strong and useful but a lot was sacrificed for that Perfect look. also, michael can throw a fucking PUNCH



pastelmogar

  * Michael is Such a fukcing clunky robot, holy shjt
  * he punches and these guys just
  * crunch under his fist
  * like soda cans



actualbird

  * i want michael to crush my skull killing me instantly



pastelmogar

  * he's Too Good for that
  * also
  * Michael disobeying the laws of robotics?
  * like not being able to harm a human
  * and it happens over something small, maybe



actualbird

  * ohhHH YES YES!! he was one of the first!! he wasnt programmed with those rules!!



pastelmogar

  * okay but like.....
  * Michael being programmed with those rules
  * disobeying them
  * and it shows how Michael is kind of... Too Much



actualbird

  * MY REBEL BOY



pastelmogar

  * how he's not an android or that he's just so very glitched out, that he's going against his base programming because androids... can't do that
  * any android today, Cannot just disobey that law
  * and Michael swats it away like it's a fuckin fly or some shit
  * like Michael and Jeremy are out late at night just exploring n shit and a mugger pops out of nowhere
  * Demands Jeremy's money
  * maybe glances at Michael and realizes what Old tech he is, realizes how valuable he might be
  * demands Michael too
  * and Jeremy's already thrown what few bills he has at the guy but when he says he wants to take Michael, Jeremy panics
  * and he's trying to reason with the guy, but he reaches out
  * grabs Michael's wrist expecting him to just follow because some androids are Really neutral?
  * and he's not expecting Michael to resist and he's Definitely not expecting to get hit square in the jaw
  * Michael probably breaks this guy's face, he is Not a light robot



actualbird

  * UR DOING AMAZING SWEETIE
  * FFFF JEREMY WOULD BE SHELLSHOCKED



pastelmogar

  * yES
  * LIKE
  * THE FACT THAT MICHAEL BROKE ONE OF THE LAWS OR ROBOTICS
  * AND IT WASNT EVEN TO DEFEND ANOTHER HUMAN, IT WAS TO DEFEND /HIMSELF/



actualbird

  * jeremy: aaAAAAAAHH HOLY SHIT FUCKVF



pastelmogar

  * Michael knocks the guy unconscious, maybe
  * Jeremy continues to panic



actualbird

  * "jeremy continues to panic" is the most in character set of words ive ever read



pastelmogar

  * AKKDIEISODOF
  * ITS JUST WHO HE IS
  * but oh god they GOTTA GO. sure, jer could plead self defense but michael is a BOT. and if a bot hurts a human, it's Big News. and attention is the last thing michael needs
  * they leave this guy in the middle of the park?



actualbird

  * michael: why dont you just say that /you/ punched him jeremy: MICHAEL FUCKING LOOK AT ME
  * michael:......point taken



pastelmogar

  * Michael, Jeremy is a twink, he Cannot



actualbird

  * between an android disobeying law and jeremy heere breaking somebodys jaw, the former is more believable than that latter
  * by a MILE



pastelmogar

  * a law obeyed by androids that has never been broken in the 60+ years it's existed
  * vs
  * a twink
  * also I can't believe Michael's OG scientist just made him a twunk
  * science is Truly incredible
  * bUT YEAH, UHHH
  * this kind of just? proves to Jeremy that Michael Really isint just an AI
  * also! like regarding the Squip?
  * Michael goes back to the building that first day and encounters an android controlled by the Squip
  * And Michael immediately starts asking it questions about if he can get to the lab or if they can like, call Jeremy to the front desk, or something?
  * and the entire time the android is silent and Michael's like 'okaaaaay.....?'
  * and it's silent because the Squip was trying to possess Michael
  * Like Michael walked in and they were like 'wow, that's an old android and there's definitely a story there, but I'll figure it out after he's under my control'
  * and Squip reaches out to try and possess Michael and before it's just been Instant
  * like new androids have such simple coding which is what makes it so easy for the Squip to override their AI's
  * but he reaches out and Michael is just.... a Huge complicated, jumbled mess of coding and data
  * like it has Order and it makes Sense, but like in the way that your dirty room makes sense
  * only to you



actualbird

  * slr i had dinner and OH GOSH!! MICHAEL'S CODING!!
  * michael's coding glitch basically meant that he rearranged all the info and got the ability to make and grow more info like. neurons.
  * when jeremy reviews his code to try and help give michael a better memory, he calls christine up in a daze because holy shit. holy shit, christine, this is designed like a /human brain/
  * the android virus squip cant infiltrate something of that calibre. theres just So Much Everywhere
  * michael would. wear hoodies and headphones because of overloading. his touch sensors arent as up to date as present androids, but hes only lived in a lab and been offline in a basement for years, so sensations are really A Lot for him.



pastelmogar

  * I was thinking about the hoodie!!
  * Like Jeremy gets him his Iconic red hoodie bc it'll help disguise him
  * and bc of his sensory issues
  * and Michael loves it So much
  * He first gets it and squeals in a register so high, it kinda hurts Jeremy's ears
  * Michael and Jeremy are commuting back home from the lab, and they pass a store
  * and there are patches in the store window and Michael stops in the middle of the street
  * 'Jeremy'
  * Jeremy, who ran into Michael and almost knocked himself out: wha
  * /'Jeremy'/
  * Jeremy ends up buying Michael a few cheap patches and Michael is So happy



actualbird

  * HEARTS IN MY EYES



pastelmogar

  * Michael scrolling online for patches and he finds Pride patches and he asks Jeremy what they are?
  * bc the idea of attraction is probably Incredibly foreign to Michael, much less sexuality
  * and Jeremy explain it to him as best as he can and Michael's just like
  * huh
  * two weeks later
  * Michael: Jeremy, I'm gay
  * Jeremy, choking on his coffee: /wHAT/



actualbird

  * hhhhHHHHHHHHH
  * michael ticking off a checklist of "things androids cant do" and jeremy is along for the ride



pastelmogar

  * Michael: over the course of the past two weeks, I have conducted a study to determine my sexuality and my results have shown a consistent preference towards males
  * M: so yeah, I'm Hella Gay



actualbird

  * jeremy: WHHHHHAT STUD Y
  * jeremy: but also uh congratulations!!!



pastelmogar

  * I really like the idea of Michael switching between really formal and informal speech
  * 's Good



actualbird

  * shsdjkfhkdsj michael going from wikipedia article to dude buddy jer in .5 seconds i love it so much



pastelmogar

  * aLSO
  * I FIGURED OUT HOW SQUIP CONTROLS LIKE, THE ENTIRE LABORATORY



actualbird

  * the first thing michael does when he realizes instead of plugging in to get info he can like. experience it the human way. like watch tv and read and stuff. he falls Deep into the animal documentaries
  * //EYES EMOJI. YES



pastelmogar

  * and it's bc Squip is the latest form of itself
  * but the scientist have tried literally Hundreds of models before it trying to get the Squip to be perfect
  * /hundreds/
  * Squip has Jeremy offer people Mountain Dew with these old squips in them
  * and they don't work like Jeremy's Squip does, bc they aren't good enough to have a fully functioning AI
  * but they allow the Squip to control the person who took it
  * these old squips allow Squip to use them as like, branches



actualbird

  * oh shit!!! oh shit this is genius dude!!!



pastelmogar

  * and everytime someone takes one, Squip is able to control them
  * that's what he's doing in the lab
  * He's having the people hes possessed make more squips so he can expand to Outside the lab



actualbird

  * mmMMMM i love this. i mean. i hate it, but it's an ingenious plan and ur a star for thinking it up. squips quite enjoyed controlling androids, but theyre so...blank. humans are much more interesting to control. theres so much more possibility
  * oh god the squip using jeremy as like. fucking HQ



pastelmogar

  * YEAH
  * like Jeremy fights against the Squip, of course
  * like he Tries
  * Squip interrogates Jeremy about Michael after he stops by



actualbird

  * oh god does he //try//, but the squip is strong



pastelmogar

  * Squip interrogates Jeremy about Michael after he stops by
  * tried to be 'reasonable' and ask Jeremy questions, but Jeremy will Not Budge
  * ends up going through his memories
  * and while Jeremy can't really fight against the Squip that well, he does a little bit better in his own mind
  * hides the important memories as best as he can
  * he tries to hide All of them, but there's only so much he can do and God, that gets tiring



actualbird

  * mmMMMM MY BOY. he tries so hard but the memories are so /bright/ that he can try to shield all he wants but the squip always knows where to look
  * [my, my these memories are very bright. so much emotion. tell me, jeremy. does he know?]



pastelmogar

  * he lets Squip get to the innocent memories first, the ones that don't Really reveal anything about Michael's circuitry or about how his AI functions
  * bc he thinks that's what the Squip is going for
  * and at first, it is
  * but the Squip changing tactics?
  * the Squip going for those emotional, irrational memories
  * Because even though Michael missed the mark on what he was Supposed to be, he's still an extraordinary piece of machinery
  * Capable of human emotions, of thought, of action?
  * he wants to use this against Jeremy, against Michael
  * Squip actually gains a Weird appreciation for Michael by doing this
  * because theyre not so different in the squips eyes
  * both of them can take action against humans and can make their own plans, think for themselves



actualbird

  * oh my god oh my god jeremy jeremy my BOY. and FUCK. the squip appreciating michael somehow
  * the squip would totally try to talk to michael
  * like at the final boss battle
  * because theyre not so different arent they? sure, michael is defective, but hes Better



pastelmogar

  * I know I thought of this but How Dare
  * fuck......
  * FUCK!!!!



actualbird

  * u dug this grave now u must live in it!!!



pastelmogar

  * no!!!!!
  * hgngng
  * something else
  * Michael pinning Jeremy down when the Squip's last attempt fails



actualbird

  * something else!!!!
  * FFFFFFF
  * THE HOLD



pastelmogar

  * YES
  * !!!
  * this entire time, Squip has been speaking though Jeremy which is.,.. Trippy as Hell, but the way he moves in Jeremy's body is so Different
  * /Confident/
  * and Michael is Hella strong, and Jeremy's body is not made for fighting
  * Squip gets pinned
  * And Squip changes his strategy one last time, bc he's desperate
  * He acts like Jeremy



actualbird

  * IM THROWING MYSELF OUT THE WINDOW



pastelmogar

  * like he starts crying and talking to Michael and Michael pauses
  * like he's stammering the way Jeremy does and it looks.... So much like him but the words are just wrong
  * but it's enough time for a stray android, one Michael thought he'd destroyed, to get up, clock Michael on the back of the head



actualbird

  * fuck fuck FUCK



pastelmogar

  * Michael's vision immediately distorts and he swipes back at the android, knocks it aside



actualbird

  * before michael gets hit, the jeremy facade slips, and that crumpled face morphs into an evil wrong wrong wrong smirk



pastelmogar

  * /yes/
  * Michael gets the bottle open and forces Jeremy to take the Mountain Dew Red
  * gets him to swallow through some miracle and then
  * the Screaming
  * from Jeremy, the possessed scientists..
  * it's So Loud
  * and Michael just... shuts down goes unconscious like everyone else and Michael comes back online later
  * Jeremy gets him up and running back after the ambulances get there, manages to get Michael on a table and gets someone to get the old tools that are still downstairs
  * and he opens up that back panel, which is... notably dented
  * it's fucked up
  * and Jeremy spends So much time in the lab just fixing Michael and running diagnostics



actualbird

  * (me: sobbing over both of them. oh god, immediately after hes de-possessed, his first thought is /michael/)



pastelmogar

  * Michael turns back on and does the same boot up
  * eyes opening and closing, lights flickering, growing brighter, dimmer
  * and then he's still
  * Jeremy can hear his system humming, knows Michael's online



actualbird

  * HHHHDHFDSJFHDSFKDSFDS FUCCKFFJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ



pastelmogar

  * He starts rambling when Michael doesn't immediately speak
  * 'God, Michael, I'm so glad you're okay, I was so worried. W-when the paramedics told me you were offline and I saw the dent in your paneling, I-I thought-. But you just had a sensory overloaded from all the screaming, it was too much to handle-"
  * "Player One, online. Ready for directions."
  * Jeremy stops



actualbird

  * MCKINZIE LEE PASTELMOGAR



pastelmogar

  * /ANDHAHHFFH/
  * and then Jeremy starts shaking
  * some scientist are still around, stayed to thank the android that saved them. They're all silent as Jeremy slowly breaks down



actualbird

  * you: this hurts, let's talk about something else
  * also you: //THINKS OF SOMETHING EVEN MORE PAINFUL



pastelmogar

  * ITS THE ONLY WAY TO COPE



actualbird

  * FUCK jeremy just. looking at uncomprehending eyes. the glow is still there, but the light? jeremy has to look away.



pastelmogar

  * He touches Michael's face and he can See his hand is shaking but not understanding, no registering it
  * "No, no, come on, don't- Don't fucking do this shit, come on, Michael, remember, come back to me, please"
  * The lights flicker and something whirs, like an old computer processor
  * Jeremy brightens
  * "That's it Michael, come on, you can do this, please-"
  * "No saved data, auditory, visual, or otherwise, of the past 3 months."
  * Jeremy's quiet again
  * His hands fall from Michael’s face
  * Michael's eyes go back to that indifferent glow
  * "Player One, online. Ready for directions.”



actualbird

  * the squip is gone, but jeremy cant help but think itd be so fucking glad to see that it was able to hurt jeremy, hurt michael one last time



pastelmogar

  * Jeremy getting hysterical???
  * yes please
  * he's crying



actualbird

  * GOD!!!!



pastelmogar

  * kind of just repeating 'no' 'Michael' 'please'
  * and he's touching his face and his shoulders, just
  * really absent to what's going on around him



actualbird

  * michael is a companion bot. he was built to create some semblance of company and comfort. so he'll bust out his programmed sayings but it's all lifeless and wrong. michael core programming comprehends that jeremy is mourning and so he says
  * "im sorry for your loss"



pastelmogar

  * fUCK THAT MAKES IT /WORSE/



actualbird

  * WE'RE GOING TO DIE HERE IN THIS PAIN HOLE



pastelmogar

  * NO IMMA FIX THIS
  * gonna fucking wall-e this shit



actualbird

  * me and my happy ending loving hheart perked up from the pain hole



pastelmogar

  * gOOD
  * i don't wanna Directly steal from wall-e but hgngn
  * for now
  * as a placeholder



actualbird

  * BUT THE WALL-E THING IS SO GOOD AND PURE SO FOR NOW



pastelmogar

  * Jeremy takes Michael's hand, clutches it so hard, it hurts
  * he's probably going to overload Michael's senses if he keeps it up for too long but he doesn't /care/
  * he's got his forehead against Michael's, eyes screwed shut



actualbird

  * oh gosh oh GOSH and over those months, those two held hands so much



pastelmogar

  * there were so many occasions where Michael saw something and almost wandered into the street to try and get to it
  * Jeremy's grab his wrist, pulled him back every time
  * at some point, he just doesn't let go
  * Jeremy's voice is cracking
  * "Please come back to me, please, Michael, I love you, /I love you, please./"



actualbird

  * thats the first time hes ever said that



pastelmogar

  * He's Known
  * Just hasn't said because he knows he shouldn't
  * that michael's Technically still an android, told himself that Michael wasn't made to think, to feel, /to love/
  * but he does
  * and Jeremy sees it everyday
  * and loves Michael more for it



actualbird

  * im crying in the club rn



pastelmogar

  * the room is quiet afterwards



actualbird

  * (jeremy can see michael love in everything he does. reading. gushing about new facts. waking jeremy up early to look at sunrises. )



pastelmogar

  * Jeremy can hear Michael humming, the sound constant
  * hears a clunk
  * something rattles
  * and then the humming gets louder
  * there's a familiar beat now, one that Jeremy remembers from before
  * "Jeremy?"
  * Michael's hand is coming up to his face, the one in his hand shifting
  * "You're squeezing kind of tight, it's a little uncomfortable, Jer-"



actualbird

  * oHHHHHHH MY GODDDDDD DWEEB DWWEEB THE DWEEB IS BACK



pastelmogar

  * HE IS
  * THAT GOOD BOY IS BACK
  * Jeremy hugs Michael really tight and he's sobbing and trembling and just saying Michael's name
  * HGNNG IM LOSING STEAM WHICH SUCKS BUT
  * there was one other thing
  * and it's Rich
  * and Rich was in a similar position to Jeremy



actualbird

  * "losng steam" SHUT UR HELL U CREATED SUCH ABEAUTIFUL!! AND MY HEART!!!
  * O GOSH RICH



pastelmogar

  * he took a Squip that was V similar to the one Jeremy took
  * This Squip was less cunning
  * brash and far too direct
  * scientists figured out something was wrong really fast and shut it down
  * Rich was pushed away, payed to not talk about the experience
  * Michael finds out about him



actualbird

  * riich my Boy oh god of course hed be told to just Shut up



pastelmogar

  * after his first visit to the lab, Michael goes back to the apartment and looks through all the documents regarding the Squip project
  * hoping Jeremy's notes and research might help him figure out what's happened
  * and there's this One clue
  * in a printed document
  * it references a past model, a past experiment
  * a past test subject
  * and it's a mistake, for sure, one probably made by an older scientist who's losing their wits, but Michael investigates
  * Michael gets into the company's database and he can't find Anything about this last test subject
  * he finds a file detailing the company's spending and it has the amount of money and where this money is going, like to what department
  * and then there's 20,000 a month to Other
  * Michael does more digging, finds that they've been giving 20,000 a month to 'Other' for nearly /three years/
  * he gets the account number, goes backwards, eventually gets an address



actualbird

  * michael my smart snooping boy oh gosh.



pastelmogar

  * the next day, he's in front of a fancy apartment building
  * he can't get in on his own, but he manages by following a woman who opens the door and posing as her android, getting past security in the lobby and going upstairs
  * Michael knocks
  * Waits
  * Knocks again
  * rinse and repeat about 4 more times before
  * "Jesus, fuck, keep your ass on!!!"



actualbird

  * i love rich



pastelmogar

  * and then a small man, who looks like he just woke up opens the door
  * Rich is wearing sweats and a tank and Michael can v easily see the burn marks covering his arms and neck and some of his face
  * he's staring a little because he's never seen anything like this
  * Rich is staring because he's never seen anything like Michael
  * "I need your help."
  * and Rich ends up letting Michael inside and Michael tells Rich about what he /thinks/ is going on, but how he doesn't have enough details or resources to figure it out completely
  * and Rich fills him in, tells him about what happened three years about an older, beta Squip
  * how it possessed him and tried to get him to attack other scientists, promising it could get him whatever he wanted if he did what he said
  * it told Rich to start a fire in one of the research departments and Rich got trapped, nearly died
  * "Now im hidden away like their dirty little secret!! The affair they can never tell their wife and kids about."
  * "Sounds like your buddy Jeremy's in the same sitch, man."



actualbird

  * RICH :((((((!!!



pastelmogar

  * he's good!!
  * but scared
  * cause when Michael asks him for help, initially, he doesn't wanna give it
  * because he doesn't work, doesn't have to
  * he basically depends on the Squip company to survive
  * >"You can find a job! Live an /actual/ life! Look at yourself!"
  * Rich is wearing clothes that look like they haven’t been washed in a week



actualbird

  * hhhhh it's a good deal. just say nothing and get paid. also rich is Not gonna take advice from some android



pastelmogar

  * "Look at this place!"
  * It's trashed, there's garbage and wrappers everywhere
  * dirty dishes, laundry kind of scattered around



actualbird

  * hxhdhxhfhf bitch u live like this meme



pastelmogar

  * "The maid cleans on Saturdays, get off my dick, you bot bitch"



actualbird

  * "YOURE TELLING ME IT GETS LIKE THIS WEEKLY??????"



pastelmogar

  * "YOU COME INTO MY HOUSE!!! HAVE ME REVEAL MY LEVEL 12 TRAGIC BACKSTORY AND ASK ME TO HELP SAVE YOUR BOYFRIEND AND YOU CRITICIZE MY LIFE CHOICES!!??!"
  * "Unbelievable"
  * Rich is just so fun to write dialogue for, love that boy
  * Michael manages to convince rich
  * Michael: there isint Anything you want!! Anything I could get you??!
  * Rich looks like he's about to say no
  * then he... blushes?



actualbird

  * OHHHHHH



pastelmogar

  * "There's this.,..One guy... who still works with the company"
  * "He stops by sometimes... He's the only one who ever does anymore."
  * "If he's trapped in that hell, I want you to save him. He's a good guy and well- my only friend now, I guess."
  * Michael nods, then kinda smirks
  * "So when I wanna save /my/ boyfriend, it's cheesy as hell-"
  * "SHUT UP!!!!"



actualbird

  * fhhfhfhHHH michael u teasing bastard i love him



===

  
  
10/30/2017  
  
pastelmogar

  * I just realized Michael would have to figure out so much stuff
  * like when he realizes how much time has passed and that he's in the future
  * like literally everything would be so different?
  * phones are now tiny
  * tvs are huge
  * cars look a little alien
  * okya, Jeremy teaching Michael to kiss
  * and Michael is probably the one who asks Jeremy about it
  * bc I love jeremy but he is Not brave enough
  * Michael sees a couple kissing once on the street and is like ??
  * but doesn’t ask Jeremy what it is
  * but then it just
  * starts coming up everywhere?
  * like in movies and shows and in public and Michael looks it up but he doesn’t?? see the big deal????
  * so he asks Jeremy to explain it to him because he just Doesn’t get it
  * And Jeremy’s probably kissed people before, he’s attractive
  * so Michael asks Jeremy and Jeremy explains it but Michael Still doesn’t get it and now he’s frustrated
  * “God, can’t you just show me!?”
  * Jeremy scrambles back a bit. “Y-you want /me/ to kiss you?!”
  * “Yes, come on it’s not a big deal!”
  * but Michael feels his servers heating up and that familiar itch at the back of his mind, the one that tries to correct him when he lies
  * and Jeremy kisses Michael but it’s too quick for his receptors to pick up
  * and so there’s a second, slower kiss and oh, okay, Michael gets it
  * and Jeremy pulls away and Michael’s like?? before realizing that Jeremy has to breath
  * and Michael notices how red Jeremy is and how his eyes are kind of dilated and he wonders if he looks like that
  * that was my ted talk, imma sleep now, but also?



[](https://www.flickr.com/photos/158379072@N02/27993557169/in/dateposted-public/)  
  
[by @mutecrows on tumblr]

  * I give two (2) details about that android au to Arri and they do This
  * they also recommended a song for the au
  * Gold Dust by Galantis



===  
10/31/2017  
pastelmogar  
  
[](https://www.flickr.com/photos/158379072@N02/25900005808/in/dateposted-public/)  
[](https://www.flickr.com/photos/158379072@N02/27993556699/in/dateposted-public/)  
  
[by @mutecrows on tumblr]

  * She did it /again/



actualbird

  * slr today was hectic
  * IM YELLING AT THE ANDROID AU AGAIN AAAGH. michael would have to learn so so much but after the initial sense of being overwhelmed, he'd take to learning like the happiest fish to water
  * androids dont really have a sense of Curiosity but because michael's coding basically builds him neurons. michael's hunger for new info is voracious. he loves learning new things. and he loves it most when it's /jeremy/ teaching him things
  * im on fire thinking about jeremy teaching michael to kiss FUCK!!



pastelmogar

  * I KNOW
  * I just Really wanted that trope and I think it fits?pretty well???



actualbird

  * i figure this happens before michael even thinks about/learns about attraction/ being gay. because like. whats kissing? why do you do it? whats the Point??
  * so part of michael's Study involves. thinking about those kisses. he thinks about maybe kissing a girl and hm. no no. then a man. yeah. better. then
  * then //jeremy//



pastelmogar

  * [eyes emoji]



actualbird

  * also these drawings are sO GOOD IM THRIVING.
  * WELCOME HOME JEREMY!!!!!!!!!!



pastelmogar

  * THE BOY RETURNS!!
  * oh gosh, Michael going out without Jeremy?
  * like he does that when Jeremy gets possessed but like
  * before that
  * Jeremy has to work and Michael.,.. is Bored



actualbird

  * oh my gosh



pastelmogar

  * pfffft, I wanna and will expand on this but I have class!!



actualbird

  * michael: okay okay jeremy said not to go out without him because it's dangerous and i have to be secret
  * //silence
  * michael: BUT IM SO BORED
  * aaahh!!! good luck on class!! GET THAT EDUCATION



pastelmogar

  * I WILL!!!
  * also Michael accidentally getting a job or something???
  * he adopts a stray cat???
  * who knows



actualbird

  * i can totally ramble while youre gone esp about Michael's Day Out
  * michael takes like, a cautious step out of jeremy's apartment and he keeps darting his head left and right as if jeremy is just gonna apparate outta nowhere and put on the Worried Jeremy Face
  * but it never comes. so hes out in the hallway
  * michael didnt think hed get this far hskjfdkhfds
  * across the hall, michael hears a crash. then a loud "FUCK!! FUCK FUCK FUCK!!!!" then out the door busts out a woman brandishing a broom like a weapon
  * "YOU!!" she says "who the hell are you?"
  * "AAAAH" michael says "IM MICHAEL"
  * "im jenna. are you afraid of spiders?"
  * "not....that i know of?"
  * "cool, can you help me out? theres a huge one in my kitchen right now and i might die so-- 
  * which is how upon 5 minutes of being outside, michael meets jenna rolan, jeremy's next door neighbor
  * michael also meets a spider and he finds it way too cool to kill so they set it free outside
  * jenna is OH SO CURIOUS about michael, about why jeremy iis hiding, but she can also tell that michael is a little skittish and uncomfortable so she doesnt say anything. it's not her place, and michael is a cool android who helped her out and also he isnt creepy like most androids. thats an A in her book
  * im gonna sleep now but. jenna gives michael a digimap of the city. and then MICHAEL SETS OFF
  * GNIGHT I HOPE U HAVE A GOOD DAY



pastelmogar

  * I HOPE YOU SLEEP WELL AND ILL TALK TO YOU TONIGHT (in the morning?) IF YOURE UP FOR IT
  * also Michael leaves the apartment building and wanders around a lot
  * he goes to the park and into a lot of little shops
  * One day he’s walking past a little grocery store and this little old woman starts to shout for him as he walks past
  * and he is So Scared and he almost starts running but she grabs him
  * and little old ladies have The Best death grip I’ve ever experienced and it’s not till he’s like actually in the store that he catches what she’s saying
  * “Don’t make androids like they used to, these damn factories, everything’s too soft these days.”
  * and Michael’s still like????? am I being stolen???
  * “I remember your model back when I was a little girl. Could actually lift a crate back then and not fall to pieces.”
  * as she says this, they stop and Michael can see a newer model android kind of leaning against the wall
  * just blowing on it makes Michael think he’d break it
  * Michael feels something knock on his arm and looks down at the old woman
  * she’s pointing at the android by the wall
  * “Blasted thing could only bring in two ‘fore it started beepin’. Still got a whole load out back that’s gotta be brought in.”
  * Michael blinks. Points at himself.
  * “You want me to help you?”
  * “Well I certainly didn’t bring you in here to stand around and look pretty, now did I?”
  * Michael jumps.
  * “N-no ma’am!”
  * She makes a shooing motion.
  * “Then get to it!”
  * And that’s how Michael spends the afternoon stocking a grocery store
  * The entire time, this woman is kinda checking in to see how he’s doing and asking questions and such
  * She asks what he was doing out without his person and Michael makes up a lie about how he was doing errands
  * she gets kinda guilty and tells him to go back to what he was doin’ but he tells her he doesn’t have to pick up the medicine he has to get until later
  * so he stays
  * and when all these creates are inside, he helps her and the other employees put things where they’re supposed to go
  * “You were a mighty big help today, young man.”
  * Michael’s putting away produce or something, making sure he’s not bruising anything and she’s watchin him, kind of talking to herself
  * “Thank you, ma’am.” Michael walks back at her and looks at the time. “I should probably go-“
  * “Now hold on there a second.”
  * She walks towards the front of the store and Michael follows her
  * She opens a cash register, pulls out a few bills, hands them to Michael.
  * Michael immediately goes to give them back.
  * “Ma’am, I can’t take this-“
  * “Nonsense! You worked hard today. ‘Sides, consider it a thank you to your person for lettin’ me work you out today.”
  * Michael is hesitant and still kinda wants to give the money back but this lady looks like she might strangle him if he tries, so he pockets it and thanks her
  * as he’s leaving, she shouts, “Come back here this time next week! Could use some decent workers ‘round here.”
  * It’s not till Michael gets back home that he realizes she gave him like, 70$
  * which is,..,. Way too much in his opinion, but it’s too late to walk back and give it to her
  * when Jeremy gets home he kind of passes out
  * Michael gets Jeremy’s wallet from his bag and tucks the 70$ inside before sitting back down and going into Idle mode



===  
  
11/1/2017  
  
pastelmogar

  * I also mentioned! Michael adopting a stray cat?



actualbird

  * *grease lyrics tune* tell me more tell me MORE
  * CATS N GRANDMAS. WHAT AUS NEED TBH



pastelmogar

  * JAKDJDIW
  * BUT SERIOUSLY THIS CAT
  * Michael is out walking one day and sees a cat
  * and has like, that staring contest that you Need to have with strange cats you don’t know
  * and Michael moves an inch and the cat is just Gone
  * Vanished
  * and Michael’s really sad about it
  * goes home and can’t even tell Jeremy!!!
  * bc he’s not supposed to be going out by himself
  * Michael looks up ways to befriend strays and keeps trying different tactics
  * but they aren’t really working



actualbird

  * hhhhhhh!!! Sweet boy



pastelmogar

  * Michael is so sad about this cat :(
  * to the point where Jeremy notices!!!
  * and Michael’s gotta shrug it off as it just being an off day
  * it takes Two Weeks
  * of Michael going to that same spot and leaving food for the cat and inching treats towards it for the cat to approach him
  * and even then it’s skittish
  * and Michael has his hand out with a treat like balancing on the edge of his fingers and he doesn’t have to breath, but he’s holding his breath
  * and the cat takes the treat and darts back into the alley



actualbird

  * PROGRESS!!!!! michael would be so !!!!!
  * amd oh my gosh Jeremy would be worried Michael is sick or something broke and he'd run baseline diagnostics while Michael thinks "JEREMY IT'S A CAT. A SECRET CAT IVE BEEN SECRETLY TRYNA BEFRIEND"



pastelmogar

  * yeah!!
  * “WHILE SECRETLY SNEAKING OUT”
  * and it just gets better from there?
  * cat won’t always run away right after taking the treat and will sit with Michael for a while
  * eventually let’s michael pet it
  * and you better Believe Michael’s done so much research about cats and their body language and like, what kind of cat this is just to get More details
  * though it’s kind of hard to tell bc it’s fur is pretty dirty and it needs a haircut but
  * one day Michael just spends like his entire day out with this cat
  * and he runs out of treats but the cat just curls up on his lap. takes a nap



actualbird

  * michael would talk to the cat once he was sure it wouldnt bolt at the slightest sound



pastelmogar

  * o!! that’s precious!!!
  * talks about his job!
  * about all the stuff he likes!!
  * about Jeremy!!!
  * he talks a lot about Jeremy



actualbird

  * "You're a scruffy lil guy. Not that there's anything wrong with that, don't look at me like that!!!"
  * "Oh wow you're like. You're like a motor. When u purr."
  * "You really like my hoodie huh? I like it too! Jeremy gave it to me. Oh you'd love Jeremy. " (I love Jeremy)



pastelmogar

  * Michael is like a space heater, tbh
  * more like a laptop



actualbird

  * HEAVEN FOR THE FUR BALL. like how cats nap on laptops omg



pastelmogar

  * yes!!
  * oh my god
  * an android and a cat are literally like the best pair
  * bc the cat can fall asleep on the android and it won’t really matter, like Michael doesn’t need to eat or sleep or use the bathroom
  * he can just sit there
  * let this cat sleep on him for hours until it wakes up
  * it’s literally Perfect
  * Michael can also just like, go into idle mode if he wanted
  * or stay up and gently pet the cat



actualbird

  * THIS CAT IS LIVING THE DREAM OH GOSH



pastelmogar

  * this cat is so spoiled
  * and one day when Michael has to get up and leave, the cat just...
  * follows him??



actualbird

  * MICHAEL. HEARTS IN HIS EYES. HES BEEN ACCEPTED
  * BUT WAIT. OH NO. CAT.



pastelmogar

  * WHST
  * /Blease dont hurt this cat, bird/



actualbird

  * HDXHCHF I WOULDNT OMG. i just was thinking. Michael. how u gonna explain to Jeremy that you have a cat. WHATCHA GONNA SAY HHHHUUHH
  * because he'd try half heartedly to like. Shoo it. "I'm going back home now!!" But then the cat follows him for a block
  * then to the apartment building
  * And then it starts to rain



pastelmogar

  * I got u boo, I Know
  * I been Planning



actualbird

  * IM GONN A BREAKFAST U CAN TAKE OVER while im slow replying
  * ur BALLER when it comes to cute animal shenanigans
  * aw shucks im actually leaving rn bc it's all souls/saints day so when i get back you'll probably be asleep but by all means, ramble away.
  * I HOPE U HAVE A NICE DAY!!!!



pastelmogar

  * aaaa, I hope today goes well!!
  * but I’ll have cat shenanigans for u when u get back
  * the cat starts following Michael home and the entire time Michael is looking over his shoulder and making sure it’s still there and thinking ‘ohmygodohmygodohmygod’
  * bc Michael doesn’t really want the cat to get lost on the street and maybe the cat senses this and just walks next to Michael so Michael can tell it’s there
  * and when Michael gets close to the apartment he realizes he’s not quite??? sure what to do and he tries to shoo the cat away and the cat’s just like ??
  * and then Michael sees the rain and picks the cat up and
  * I’m imagining this as like, a Maine Coon
  * A Big Boy
  * so Michael picks it up and it kind of grumbles but Michael just holds it and yeets up the stairs
  * bc it would be Less than ideal if either of them got caught in the rain
  * and Michael wants to give the cat a bath but he can’t, for obvious reasons
  * so he ends up just sitting and waiting for Jeremy to get home
  * and the cat explores the apartment all the while, sniffing the laundry pile and the bed a lot, bc there’s another, not Michael smell?
  * what is that????
  * and the cat ends up curling up either on Michael or the chair that Michael idles in bc familiar scent
  * and Jeremy gets home and he doesn’t immediately see the cat
  * sees Michael first, bc Gay
  * “Dude, you won’t /believe/ the drama I dug up today-“
  * Stops. Stares at the cat, who is now staring back at Jeremy.
  * (aLSO YOU CANT TELL ME!!! THAT THESE SCIENTISTS /DIDNT/ HAVE BEEF WITH EACH OTHER AND THAT THEY /DIDNT/ VAUGE AT EACH OTHER IN THEIR REPORTS AND SHIT)
  * Michael is silent, bc He Knows this stare
  * “Michael, where’d this cat come from?”
  * When Jeremy speaks, it gets off the chair and runs over to Michael and curls up on his lap and just
  * continues to stare at Jeremy
  * from its Safe Spot
  * and Michael starts petting it bc he can tell that the cat is nervous and he’s kind of honored that the cat trusts him enough to think he’d protect him
  * which he would, ofc
  * Michael’d probably die for this cat
  * “It was scratching at the door. Rain probably brought it in.”
  * Jeremy is still staring at Michael
  * “...You wanna keep it, don’t you?”
  * “Jeremy, /please!/“
  * Michael had this like neutral expression on his face but as soon as Jeremy asks, he’s like a 7 year old asking his mom if they can have a dog
  * and Michael Knows they could care for it too, bc the tenant up two floors has birds so they can have pets and Michael can ask for more work at the grocery store to help take care of the cat and if he has the cat at home he might not want to leave so often because then he won’t get as lonely
  * (Michael knows having a cat isint gonna keep him from going out, but maybe he won’t go out as often? or at least have company to go out with)
  * and Jeremy relents bc he’s Weak
  * and they end up getting Maxon (I’m open for suggestions???) a collar and buying a few toys, some food, the Essentials
  * they also get cat shampoo and they have A Time trying to wash this cat
  * Bc Michael can’t get wet, so he’s sitting on the toilet with the seat down and giving encouraging words to both Jeremy and Maxon
  * This cat is kinda fighting Jeremy the whole time and making angry cat sounds and Michael just keeps gently hushing him
  * “Awww, I know, it’ll be over soon, just be good for Jeremy, okay?”
  * Jeremy comes away with a few scratches but nothing permanent
  * Jeremy towels Maxon off really well and then Michael takes over
  * gets Jeremy’s hairdryer and points it at Maxon, makes sure the undercoat dries fully
  * he’s v thorough
  * and Maxon isint exactly Happy now, but he’s better
  * likes the attention
  * likes the hairdryer (after getting used 
  * to the noise)
  * likes Michael
  * and this cat is still in Dire need of a haircut, but Michael decides to leave that for another day
  * aaaaaaand that’s how the boys get a cat



actualbird

  * OH GOD THIS WAS ALL SO BEAUTIFUL AND SO SOFT ANF I LOVE!! MAXON!! it's such a cool name !!!
  * michael and maxon michael and maxon. michael and maxon are such good friends and for the first few days, maxon is not yet Sold on jeremy
  * maxon is...suspicious. whom is this boy...maxon tolerates jeremy simply because michael really really likes jeremy 
  * and michael senses that jeremy's starting to feel a little down and he's worried it's because of maxon!!
  * so michael gives maxon a pep talk along the lines of like. okay buddy. dude. we're friends yeah? "mew" well, you can dislike anybody you want but you have to go easy on jeremy okay. i love him a lot and maybe if you gave him a chance, you'd love him too. please be nicer?
  * "mew" maxon says. that roughly translates to "okay fine but only because youre obviously in love with him"
  * WHAT IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING isnt that jeremy is sad that a cat doesnt like him but that...hes a lil miffed that the cat is getting to spend all its time with michael, something jeremy can only afford to do on weekends. and even then, maxon is always in michael's lap. always taking up michael's attention
  * jake: are you telling me youre jealous...at a cat?
  * jeremy: NO!!!!!!!!.............MAYBE!!!!
  * in which jake is also a scientist at the corp and he sees jeremy around a lot because they work in the same wing. and jake is fun to talk to and jeremy talks about michael as his totally Normal Roommate who now >:( has a cat >:(
  * anyway maxon and jeremy make up and they both get to have michael's attention. michael is so!! happy!!!!



===  
  
11/3/2017  
  
[context: after talking about twitter account @hydratebot]  
  
pastelmogar

  * hydrate bot? as Michael? in android au?



actualbird

  * xhhdHHDHDGG



pastelmogar

  * reminding Jeremy not to die when he isint taking care of himself



actualbird

  * michael reads up on human health and realizes to his fucking horror that Jeremy is GARBAGE at taking care of himself
  * Michael: he needs to sleep!!! for more than just 3 hours a day!!! Oh My God!!!
  * Maxon: mrrppp
  * michael, pushing a glass of water into Jeremy's hands the moment he comes home: please stay hydrated. You're very bad at it



pastelmogar

  * Michael, holding up Maxon to Jeremy: jeremy! you need to be more like maxon!! cats sleep approximately 14 hours a day!!! get some rest!!!



actualbird

  * <3!!!!!!



pastelmogar

  * Jeremy, watching maxon sleep: god, I wish that was me



actualbird

  * michael pries a cup of coffee from Jeremy's fingers: caffeine overdose is dangerous and you skirt the limits almost daily
  * ME TOO JEREMY



pastelmogar

  * Michael ordering takeout or cooking for Jeremy



actualbird

  * mmMMMMM!!!! FFFUCK!! i feel like Michael would enjoy cooking so much despite the fact that he can't eat anything
  * But Jeremy just looks So Happy eating not-takeout food



pastelmogar

  * Michael loves cooking and it’s part of the reason Jeremy remembers to buy groceries half the time
  * bc Michael loves to cook
  * and he has to eat, apparently
  * I just realized how domestic this would be
  * Michael cooking dinner for Jeremy?? Legit taking care of Jeremy??



actualbird

  * me, a slut for characters being domestic before theyre even dating: It's Beautiful Right
  * jeremy didnt actually notice how lonely he was until michael
  * his days before would just be him watching some tv or playing some games. maybe chat with christine but shes as busy as he is. maybe chat with jenna, but he doesnt know how to talk to people past good morning, good evening
  * now he's got michael who's funny and beats him at old school video games. michael who's fussy about jeremy's health. michael who manages to make talking to other people a little easier. michael who brought a /cat/ into the mix
  * sometimes michael would joke around whenever jeremy's like, "food is too good what did i do to deserve you." and michael would just laugh and say
  * "you saved me, dude."
  * i think you saved me too, jeremy thinks, shoving more food into his mouth



pastelmogar

  * Jeremy looks around and he sees it one day
  * Michael cooking in their tiny kitchen and talking to Maxon, who’s sitting on the counter and trying to steal scraps and Jeremy just
  * Jeremy realizing this is when he loves Michael



actualbird

  * im going to SCREAM into my PACK OF LOZENGES



pastelmogar

  * AAAAAAAAA
  * god, when does Michael realize
  * I feel like maybe after Jeremy does?
  * idk How but
  * I really wanna say after
  * he talks to Christine about it, maybe?



actualbird

  * AAAAAAAAAAA oh god oh god i too have no idea how itd happen but just the thought of michael and CHRISTINE
  * so jeremy tells nobody about michael except for christine because jeremy trusts christine with his life and all his cute socks 
  * and the moment christine knows she is SO EXCITED. I WANT TO MEET MICHAEL RIGHT THIS INSTANT, JEREMIAH HEERE
  * for like various reasons. she's studying computer science on the coding side so she is STOKED to hear about michael. but also jeremy talks about michael like he's a really really cool guy and she knows how hard it is for jeremy to make friends so she is So Curious as to who has managed to befriend him in like 20 seconds
  * but jeremy would be like A WEEK. YOU CAN MEET HIM IN A WEEK. just to give him time to adjust and stuff. but rlly jeremy is just nervous because he really hopes michael and christine get along
  * spoiler: they do. so much.
  * maybe too much because they end up talking like 100mph and jeremy just looks from the side fondly while he pulls up the code christine wanted to see
  * (christine totally helped michael back when he was on his maxon mission omg)



pastelmogar

  * /she did, holy shit/
  * I’m still screaming about this but uhhhhhhhh
  * I mentioned the android au the kait twoplayergame and they she helped me Realize a Thing
  * I don’t check my messages before I send them but
  * THE BOYS
  * JUST GET USED TO KISSING??
  * like after those first kisses, Michael just?
  * asks for more?
  * bc he doesn’t know what to do with the fact that he wants to keep kissing Jeremy after that first time
  * and so he just decides to keep asking for kisses?
  * bc the worst Jeremy can do is say no?
  * and at first Jeremy wants to sCREAM? 
  * because wHA?!???
  * but then it just becomes? normal??
  * Michael cooking dinner and Jeremy walking up to him and kissing him on the cheek
  * and also trying to steal something from the pan Michael’s cooking with and getting his hand smacked away



actualbird

  * ohmymhGFFUGKIN GOD
  * I CANT BELIEVE THIS
  * it starts out like. a deliberate choice after jeremy first teaches him. like. "hey can we kiss again?"
  * but then slowly it just starts getting natural and unspoken



pastelmogar

  * YES!!!



actualbird

  * michael pecking jeremy on the lips before he leaves in the morning
  * THE FIRST TIME THAT HAPPENS, right after jeremy shuts the door he just. brings his fingers up to his lips because. that just happened. his heart feels so full and his brain is so confused because oh god this is not just a friend thing but. but it's good and it makes them both happy
  * on the other side of the door, michael is humming happily. lovestruck android boy...



pastelmogar

  * aaaaaaa!!!!
  * At first it’s for occasions like that?
  * like as thank yous and goodbyes and hellos



actualbird

  * mMMMMMMMMMMM jeremy loves coming home so much
HFFF WAIT IVE FIGURED OUT MAYBE HOW MICHAEL FINDS OUT HE'S IN LOOOOVE. I NEED TO GO TO CLASS IN 15 MINUTES BUT I NEED TO TYPE THIS 


pastelmogar

  * IM HERE AND I CANT WAIT TO BE BLESSED
  * also Michael and Jeremy get too caught up in a welcome home kiss and kind of end up making out a bit, uhhhhh



actualbird

  * jeremy comes home and it was. a not too good day. nothing Bad happens but sometimes the stress piles up and a scientist sneers at the scrawny looking intern and by the time he gets home, he is. tired. not in a Flop Into Bed And Die tired but the different kind
  * HKSJJFDHFSDHJK
  * JEREMY LOVES COMING HOME //SO MUCH//



pastelmogar

  * OKAY THAT WAS ALL BLEASE CONTINUE
  * can’t believe Michael’s the trophy husband in this au, damn :/



actualbird

  * (they need to take turns in every dimension jshkjfhd)
  * so michael goes to greet jeremy as usual but he doesnt even lean in to kiss him before he frowns and asks "hey, what's wrong?"
  * "bad day. sorry."
  * "can i punch the reason why?" and michael is 100% serious but jeremy just laughs, sincere but still frayed at the edges
  * "not this one" because jeremy just gets bad days and michael knows this. so he tries his best to help
  * he sets jeremy down on the couch and bundles him in a blanket. brings him food but lays off in his fussing, letting jeremy take his time. and jeremy is quiet, so michael fills the silence
  * he talks about his day, about what the hot gossip jenna heard about the florists down the street, about how he thinks maxon is stealing food from other apartments
  * in the background, some old animal documentary plays
  * to the sound of david attenborough, michael talks and talks and jeremy laughs, soft at first until he's doing that weird snort snicker thing michael finds so fucking cute
  * slowly, jeremy starts leaning towards michael. jeremy's eyes start to droop and michael starts to run out of words in his system. (it's hard for him to find words, sometimes, when he looks at jeremy)
  * and jeremy is just on the edge of falling asleep. the tv goes on and on about albatrosses. "the albatross will travel great distances----"
  * "michael," jeremy says, soft, so soft. "thank you."
  * "no problem," michael says, and he doesnt even think
  * he doesnt even think when he leans over to where jeremy is asleep on his shoulder
  * and presses his lips to jeremy's forehead
  * michael hears soft snoring. he hears the tv go on. "---albatrosses mate for life---". but most of all, he thinks he hears a heart beating. he knows it isnt his, because he doesnt technically have one
  * but he knows what this is
  * this buzz in his head
  * oh, he thinks. this. is love
  * HHFFHFHHFHS OKAY IM MUSHY I GTG. BYE MCKINZIE HAVE A NICE NIGHT!!!! <3!!!!!!



pastelmogar

  * AAAAAAAAAAAAA HAVE A NICE DAY!!!!!!



[later that same day]  
  
pastelmogar

  * also it just hit me but
  * bc I still don’t know where Brooke and Chloe are in this au, imma say they are a happy couple selling candles in their candle shop
  * bc I think? Chloe’s actor actually mentioned this once and I Love it so :/
  * Michael meets them once or twice when he’s out on his own



===  
  
11/7/2017  
  
actualbird

  * i am currently in class (but we got a 10 minute break)
  * but aaAAAA BROOKE N CHLOE
  * i love em
  * suddenly, jeremy just has scented candles in his apartment



pastelmogar

  * brooke just gives Michael so many
  * so many candles
  * can’t believe the girls are the reason the boys have mood lighting for their makeouts, wow :/



actualbird

  * FHSHFMMM!!!!!!
  * the first time brooke and chloe give michael an armful of candles michael just
  * sets them around the apartment and lights them all
  * totally unaware of the romantic ambiance he had just created
  * jeremy comes home to the lights in his apartment off, lit only by candles speckled like stars, the faint scent of rose and something cooking
  * "welcome home," michael pecks him on the cheek
  * jeremy, brain exploding: whuh



pastelmogar

  * ;3c



actualbird

  * i love how this au started with PAIN and now it's How Domestic Can We Make Michael And Jeremy



pastelmogar

  * if an au doesn’t go from pain to domestic is it really a good au?
  * Michael likes scented candles bc it’s like
  * a different stimuli?
  * scent!
  * and Michael probably gets overwhelmed when he first walks into Chloe and Brooke’s shop bc Wow
  * ‘this is.,.. A Lot’
  * and Chloe helps Michael figure out which ones he likes best
  * god, I can’t believe Michael romances Jeremy without even trying
  * Michael made dinner, and it’s already waiting for Jeremy
  * And while Jeremy eats Michael’s just asking him about his day and putting a bunch of jeremy’s stuff away and putting away dishes or whatever
  * and Jeremy is just so distracted by Michael the entire time
  * like Michael looks Very nice in the candle light
  * Jeremy is the one that would actually take the initiative
  * bc like u said, Michael doesn’t know? that he’s created a Hella romantic setting
  * and it’s Jeremy just
  * standing at and gripping the edge of the sink and taking a deep breath before pushing himself away
  * and he turns and Michael’s at Jeremy’s desk looking through all the papers trying to find something
  * and Jeremy just slowly walks up to him, a nervous little look on his face but his steps are determined
  * Jeremy just slots himself against Michael’s back
  * wraps his arms around Michael’s waist and rests his head against the back of Michael’s neck
  * Michael half turns and there’s a smile in his voice
  * “oh, you’re done? I was thinking we could read the next chapter-“
  * and Jeremy just kisses Michael’s neck
  * over the panel that’s there
  * and Michael doesn’t have any sensors there, he can’t feel it but he /can/
  * and Michael gasps a little and Jeremy kisses Michael again, a bit to the left so Michael can actually pick up on it
  * and then they make out for the next hour, Good Night
  * also when Jeremy turns around I imagine he grips the counter again and he gives himself a good luck and just
  * pushes himself away
  * also Michael questions Jeremy about it afterwards
  * like after they’ve made out for an hour
  * “not that I’m complaining, but um...”



actualbird

  * oh
  * my
  * GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



pastelmogar

  * THESE BOYS!!!!
  * Michael trails off there bc Jeremy is still kind of kissing at his neck and Michael Cannot focus
  * Michael gently just pushes Jeremy away bc he Can’t talk and have Jeremy kissing him at the same time
  * “why the sudden kisses?”
  * and then Jeremy’s like ????
  * “...you started this?”
  * Michael’s just politely confused, he’s not following
  * and Jeremy gestures around the room like
  * “the candles?”
  * and that’s when Jeremy figures out/remembers that Michael doesn’t? know the significance of lighting a dark room with candles
  * that Michael’s intentions behind this were completely innocent
  * and Jeremy’s just so mortified, lmao



===  
11/9/2017  
actualbird

  * MMMMMMmmm hello mckinzie srry for the radio silence I.died.
  * Jeremy: I'm being Romanced
  * Michael: candles are so cool
  * dhfhfnvjhfjj these boys.....



pastelmogar

  * Jeremy just
  * idk he’s so out of it when michael asks him what’s up with all the kissing



actualbird

  * Ahdhfhfhh it was a valid conclusion and Michael is So Up For Kissing Always but Michael is also....hrm...it seems I've done one of those human things I don't notice.....



pastelmogar

  * Michael looking up Other romantic human things



actualbird

  * HHDHMMM. cooking of dinner is one of the Things and he's like. Oh
  * but also "WHY IS THIS ROMANTIC IT'S EATING IT'S A BASIC HUMAN NEED OMG"



pastelmogar

  * I KNOW ITS GREAT
  * I actually don’t now that many romantic human things uhhhhh
  * I also never realized how many normal things would be weird to androids
  * Michael would probably question so many things that we just Accept
  * and at some point Jeremy just sighs bc he doesnt have an answer and Michael laughs



actualbird

  * GROCERY LADY IS VERY SUPERSTITIOUS and Michael is always ????? but follows anyway. Jeremy is puzzled when Michael throws salt over his shoulder. "I dont want any evil spirits in the house, Jeremy."
  * MAXON IS A BLACK CAT and somebody in the apartment is like ohhhh that's bad luck andMichael is SO OFFENDED. THST IS HIS //FRIEND//



pastelmogar

  * THATS HIS BOY
  * god that’d be kind of scary?
  * like if Maxon was a black cat
  * and a Maine Coon
  * just a Huge dark shadow
  * like
  * this is one of the biggest types of cats there are
  * He is a god cat



actualbird

  * big scary looking boy made of love



pastelmogar

  * Maxon following Michael when he’s on his escapades
  * like Maxon just goes with Michael



actualbird

  * when Michael is still befriending maxon he blinks a picture and sends it to Christine like. This is the kitty im talking about!!!!
  * Christine: bfjffhdjdj of course it is
  * HIS!! SHADOW!!!



pastelmogar

  * GOD PEOPLE JUST REFER TO THEM AS ONE THING LIKE
  * Michael has to walk the same path everyday to get to work and people who see him regularly are just like ‘oh, it’s Michael and his shadow’



actualbird

  * MMMFFFF MICHAEL TURNING INTO A NEIGHBORHOOD MYTH. a nice android who is so different from other androids. appeared out of nowhere. is kind to everybody except those who are cruel. has a large black cat following him.



pastelmogar

  * the black cat is his guardian
  * gOD
  * SOMEONE GIVE MICHAEL A YOUTUBE CHANNEL OR SOMETHING
  * LET HIM VLOG ABOUT HIS CAT



actualbird

  * HHHHH. Michael's vlogs start off with videos he recorded back when he was befriending maxon and he posted them when Jenna watched them and said that the internet would gobble it up



pastelmogar

  * michael actually gets a small following



actualbird

  * so the first few vids have just. Michael's voice narrating his friendship process with maxon and maybe tidbits here and there about life and a mysterious 'jeremy' he always brings up



pastelmogar

  * he doesn’t actually tell the audience who Jeremy is either
  * which is So Good



actualbird

  * And they know he's an android bc the video is from eye view so it's recorded from ocular cameras
  * HHHHFHFFF!!!!!
  * michael doesn't interact with commenters omg BC he doesn't....notice he starts gaining viewers
  * when he posts new videos they're all still about maxon but now in an apartment



pastelmogar

  * Michael posts like a few times a day too
  * just whenever Maxon does Anything



actualbird

  * and the story gets more interesting BC sometimes the video cuts off like "and maxon like wedging himself in this tiny corner, like, why dude? there's more space for you over he---- [door click sound] oh he's home!!!!"
  * dhdhhfhfhh there are at least 12 Maxon Looking Cute While Sleeping vids



pastelmogar

  * all the comments: Who Is He



actualbird

  * you'd think ppl would get tired but Michael's rambles in the background are very calming and entertaining
  * WHO IS HE



pastelmogar

  * Michael Actually checking comments one day



actualbird

  * cat youtuber masquerades as possible love story



pastelmogar

  * it’s bc of Jenna toooo
  * Jenna totally follows Michael’s channel btw
  * And she’s like ‘you know people actually really like your stuff, right?’
  * Michael, absolutely flabbergasted: wHA!!!!!!



actualbird

  * HE HAS A VERY DEDICATED NICHE FOLLOWING
  * bc the internet loves cats, love stories, and mysterious people
  * All they know about Michael is his name (BC he put it in his username, dork) and that he's the weirdest and coolest android ever
  * THEY KNOW MORE ABOUT MAXON AND JEREMY AND RANDOM ANIMAL FACTS
  * also they like his voice. It's very friendly, unlike other android voices which are too perfect and intimidating



pastelmogar

  * YEAH!!!
  * Michael posts a video one day that’s titled ‘THERE HE IS!!! MY SPECIAL BOY!!!!
  * and it’s maybe like
  * Jeremy but for half a second
  * and v blurry
  * bc Michael was moving while he was recording it



actualbird

  * NYOOM



pastelmogar

  * ANDJFISODI
  * the comments are outraged
  * and Michael just responds to all the angry ones like :3c



actualbird

  * it's a tackle hug video from the perspective of the tackler. It cuts off with "AGH, MICHAEL [adorable jeremy laughter]"
  * MICHAEL IS SUCH A TROLL
  * "michaelm1973 could make a video about pasta water and i'd watch it and cry" a comment one of his vids. later that night, he posts a video about pasta water.
  * bc he's making pasta
  * and it's 3 minutes long only about the water but in the vid u can see like. Lit candles in the background



pastelmogar

  * [eyes emoji]



actualbird

  * "MICHAEL IS IT FUCKING DATE NIGHT??????"
  * he cannot reply to the comments he is too busy being kissed by Jeremy for an hour
  * FULL!! CIRCLE!!!



pastelmogar

  * Michael makes a video and it’s him listing human things he finds weird but that he also likes
  * and he mentions kissing
  * and all the comments are like ‘wHOM MICHAEL’
  * ‘MICHAEL IS JEREMY YOUR BOYFRIEND’
  * ‘SEND A WINKY FACE WITH TWO SMILES OF YES’
  * if*
  * Michael: ;;)



actualbird

  * in the tune of Michael makes an entrance: MICHAEL HAS A BOOOOYYYFRIEND
  * hdhfhhfh michael totally sings "michael makes an entrance" in one of his videos and it's so fucking endearing GOD



pastelmogar

  * can’t believe Michael gets even More subs for his singing voice
  * also
  * Michael recording things without thinking sometimes
  * like he does it without thinking
  * THAT WAS A REPEAT AND NOT CLARIFICATION HGNGN
  * but Michael records Jeremy a lot on accident
  * sometimes Jeremy sings
  * and there’s one video
  * that’s Michael looking at and playing with Maxon but like
  * half heartedly
  * and it’s Jeremy singing over the visual
  * Michael once posts an actual video of Jeremy at like 1am and it’s after one of their makeouts and Jeremy is just v out of it
  * giggly and cuddly
  * and it’s maybe 30 seconds long
  * and the title is just
  * ilovehimilovehimilovehimilov
  * and Michael realizes an hour later/the next morning and he takes it down
  * and a few hundred views are already there and there are,..,, So many comments
  * many by the same people who are just screaming



actualbird

  * IM EVERYBODY SCREAMING
  * OH MY GODFDDDDDD
  * the jer singing one makes them go fucking NUTS because Jeremy sounds wonderful and someone comments like. "Jeremy sounds lovely here!!!!" And Michael's reply has like a billion up votes and it says "yeah i know <3"
  * 30 SECONDS THAT MADE ME BELIEVE IN LOVE



pastelmogar

  * there’s one part
  * that probably gets played over a million times
  * and Jeremy was giggling and laughing at Michael a little
  * Like he was going off on a bit of a tangent
  * and so he’s like poking Michael in the chest trying to make his v tired argument and he just
  * stops
  * and looks up at Michael through his lashes
  * and you can kind of see Jeremy’s eyes getting wider, like his pupils dilating before he turns away and the video ends with both Michael and Jeremy giggling



actualbird

  * oh my FUCJING!!! GODDD!!!
  * ppl didnt kno androids could feel love but that moment? that proves this isn't a ruse. Michael Is So Fucking In Love
  * hdhhfhfhdhdj i can't believe jeremy is like. at the hardware store a few days later picking up shit for Michael's next tune up ("my knee is fine, Jeremy!!" "It!!! Is creaking!!!!! Let ms fix it u fool!!!!") and somebody taps him on the shoulder and is like. " hey, are you Michael's boyfriend?"
  * "Yeah," Jeremy says. But then. He backtracks. "waIT WHO R U AND WHY DO U KNO"
  * jeremy busts into the apartment, still blushing, and says, "MICHAELM1973 EXPLAIN RIGHT NOW EVERYTHING"



pastelmogar

  * GOD THE BEST THNG ABOUT THAT
  * JEREMY DOESNT EVEN HESITATE TO CALL MICHAEL HIS BOYFRIEND
  * JUST AGREES
  * EVEN THO HE AND MICHAEL HAVENT FUCK8GN TALKED ANYTHIGN OUT YET



actualbird

  * IT'S INSTINCT. HIS ID IS WORKING AGAINST HIM HCHFJDFBDJ
  * jeremy thinks like. The word boyfriend is too small. He loves Michael so so so much. Love him for as long as he can
  * "Dude, that's called like. Marriage," Jake tells him over some test tubes.
  * "aaaAAAAA WHY DID U SAY THAT WORD," Jeremy screams into a test tube "WE ARENT EVEN TECHNICALLY DATING"
  * "so u make out???? and have romantic dinners???? as what, bros?????????????"
  * "I DONT KNOW "
  * "you guys own a cat together!!!!"
  * "SDFSGSDHSFFAFAAAAAA"



pastelmogar

  * CALL HIM OUT JAKE!!!!
  * Jake is also a hypocrite bc he and Rich also have romantic bro dinners



actualbird

  * jake likes to think of it as just like. treating rich out cuz his apartment is a garbage den. rich deserves Good Shit. that just so happens to be expensive dinners and wine
  * jake: there comes a point where lavish dinners arent just platonic , jeremy
  * jeremy: //squints at jake



pastelmogar

  * jake’s a fucking sugar daddy is what I’m hearing
  * even though rich definitely has the money to take care of himself
  * he just wants to be taken care of



actualbird

  * sdjhKHKJDFSDJK
  * rich has more money than jake but he's terrible at Using it and jake is more than happy to :) be a bro :)



pastelmogar

  * Jake’s actually just bitter
  * bc he’s been trying to court Rich like a gentleman and Rich is just Blind



actualbird

  * HJKSFKSDHFSDHHJJH
  * THIS MAKES THE JER&JAKE CONVO EVEN FUNNIER
  * jake: lavish dinners arent platonic. i really fucking wish EVERYBODY KNEW THAT!!!
  * jeremy: u ok



pastelmogar

  * Jake, contemplating whether or not to drink whatever’s in the test tube he’s holding: no



actualbird

  * jhkjhkdsfhksdh somebody pls save jake dillinger
  * the next day, jeremy gives him a scented candle out of like. sadness
  * it's sea breeze
  * "michael picked it out for you"



pastelmogar

  * god, Michael fucking asked Chloe for it
  * “Jeremy has a friend who’s sad, do you have a candle for that?”
  * “What kind of sad?”
  * “He’s been trying to date his friend and has drop hints for months, but it’s not working out.”
  * “This friend a guy or a girl?”
  * “Does it matter????”
  * “Michael, I need All the details.”
  * “It’s a guy???”
  * “Say no more.”



actualbird

  * HKJHKFDSKFSD CHLOE THE CANDLE WHISPERER



pastelmogar

  * YEAH!!!



actualbird

  * rich loves the candle so fucking much. "fuckin SEA BREEZE yo dude i'd marry this candle"
  * jake, internally: god i wish that were me
  * this leads to jeremy giving jake the address to chloe and brooke's shop
  * which sounds like the setup to a joke. a scientist walks into a candle shop----



pastelmogar

  * THATS SOUNDS LIKE A REALLY GOOD JOKE



actualbird

  * the joke is jake's month long failed courtship
  * chloe: this is really sad. i dont think we have any candles for despair
  * brooke whacks chloe with a newspaper roll



pastelmogar

  * Chloe don’t slander the name of you and your wife’s business
  * andjsjsj, but idk I like that everything is kind of coming together



actualbird

  * hxhfhfhd i just want all my kids to be happy after they all go thru their weird weird lives



pastelmogar

  * aaaa I’m also thinking about after??
  * like after the squipcident
  * like Jeremy can’t really hide Michael anymore
  * but the company also can’t touch Michael?
  * and they also? can’t really claim they own him
  * bc Michael has done so much to show that he’s more than just a machine, you know?
  * and if they scraped Michael, who is a Hero, hows that gonna make the company look?
  * (In all honestly the company is gonna tank anyway after this, like they can’t hide what happened this time)
  * I have practice starting in a few but
  * idk I just love this?
  * like Jeremy would get calls from so many people asking how he managed to maintain Michael with such limited access to parts
  * and psychologists? and programmers? and engineers?
  * would also be calling?
  * just wanting a chance to talk to Michael, to study him?
  * and a lot of them would get blocked so quickly bc the way they talk about Michael.,... like he’s a Thing
  * makes both Michael and Jeremy Very uncomfortable
  * AAAA I THINK I GTG BUT FEEL FREE??? TO ADD????



actualbird

  * aaaAA SLR AND HAVE A NICE NIGHT!!! I WILL DEF ADD TO THIS AFTER I WASH MY DOG BC!! FUCK!!!!! UR A GENIUS!!!!
  * fhfjhdkfh post squipcident (and i just died realizing all the domestic shit happens PRE squipcident like. oh my god. that makes the pain scenario of michael maybe forgetting so much more painful and but the remembering bit so much MORE!! EVERYTHING!!! i like to think that it's been like. a good 9 months. of jeremy and michael's weird not relationship they never talk about but fits so so well) the company TOTALLY FUCKING TANKS
  * like it's such a huge fuckin scandal. mind control??? AI gone evil??? good fuckin bye. like they try to clean up but nah. they kinda. start dissolving
  * and michael and jeremy are SUPER AFRAID of the backlash theyll get but everybody who worked at the company knows and saw that michael saved them. u will not find one person at the incident who says a bad thing about michael
  * even when maybe somebody tries to tarnish michael's name because /he/ is technically also an AI that went off code who was created by that company. but he went off code and turned into what can only be described as good. as //human//
  * but hhfhfhfdhf yeah jeremy loses his job. he starts working at the scrap shop he gets spare parts from (run by an eccentric guy called mister reyes who dreamed of being a broadway director but instead.....works in an auto shop....in new jersey.....michael gets him a candle too, as thanks for giving jeremy a job and also for all the parts he let jeremy take for michael. it's citrus lemon) and takes a shift or two at chloe and brooke's shop
  * but the overall media response is positive. people support michael and jeremy and kinda want them to get like, recognition. but michael and jeremy just want things to blow over. they just wanna live
  * JEREMY would get SO MANY calls and messages: engineers who want to know how he was able to salvage old tech. programmers who want to look at michael's coding. weird crazy people who say michael is an abomination who needs to be shut down.
  * and maybe theyre hanging out and watching tv and jeremy's phone buzzes and michael checks it for him (habit. jeremy lets him skjfhdsj) but jeremy is like "wait no!!" and michael sees.



pastelmogar

  * AAAAAAA



actualbird

  * and jeremy is so worried and so angry at people for not //seeing// but michael just shrugs and deletes the message and says. "im not an object. i know that. you know that. nothing is ever gonna change my mind. im me."
  * because at this point, hes sure of who he is. the squip tried to use his identity against him, and that didnt work. so a bunch of weirdo scientists have got nothing on michael. he just wishes theyd all leave jeremy alone to sort candles in peace



pastelmogar

  * these boys :((((
  * let them have their cat
  * and their candles
  * and Michael’s YouTube channel!!!
  * and idk it actually makes me a little sad bc now??
  * they’re gonna get harassed more??



actualbird

  * hhhHHHHH WHY DID I DO THIS TO US



pastelmogar

  * like Michael just wants to do his job at the grocery store and at the candle shop :((((
  * actually, uhhhh
  * Richard?
  * I want... Rich to help his friends
  * i also want
  * Jeremy to get a really nice job offer



actualbird

  * YES!!! YES TO BOTH!!!
  * oh god. rich who's barely left his apartment aside from dates with jake and probably michael pushing him out and demanding he like, smell the flowers or something. well, he realizes like. there goes his money supply (not that he needs it, hes loaded from savings omg) but also he doesnt need to shut up about it anymore. the scandal is out
  * so he makes a statement. and it's his words that close the fucking case against the company and what they did and what they were planning to do with their tech
  * and from there he slowly, slowly starts to integrate himself back into society
  * and maybe idk he threatens to throw a candle at this one weirdo programmer who tries to bother jeremy at the shop. "TASTE SEA BREEZE MOTHERFUCKER"



pastelmogar

  * they can sue the company, can’t they?
  * and get like a fuckton of money
  * and then they don’t have to live in a small apartment anymore!!!



actualbird

  * i know NOTHING about suing but if it means the gang gets money and justice //bangs gavel on the table. YES



pastelmogar

  * YE??



actualbird

  * rich: so remember how jake and i sued the company while u and michael were making out while ur cat and candles watched? well, congratulations. you two losers can get a penthouse
  * jeremy: whuh



pastelmogar

  * Michael: but I don’t wanna leave Jenna :((
  * Jenna: :((
  * Jeremy: :(((



actualbird

  * JENNA
  * idk how to fix this can they bring her or do they move to a bigger unit like a few floors up or do i throw caution to the wind and they just become the landlords of the complex
  * michael: jenna i miss you
  * jenna: MICHAEL UR JUST 3 FLIGHTS OF STAIRS FARTHER



pastelmogar

  * I KNOW I WAS THINKING THAT
  * Michael: Rich
  * Rich: ?????
  * M: come live in our apartment complex
  * R: You want me. To move from my luxury penthouse and downgrade to a two room apartment?
  * M: yes
  * R: aight
  * /I’m gonna get everyone in this apartment complex, watch me/



actualbird

  * They Just Live There Now Okay



pastelmogar

  * the old tenants can still live there, now they just gotta deal with more shenanigans and lower rent



actualbird

  * hhhrrffff i like to think chloe and brooke stay in their flat right above the candle shop but theyre like 5 minutes away anyway and also it makes sure that everybody still gOES OUT



pastelmogar

  * YEAH



actualbird

  * to buy essentials like. candles. candles are essential in this au



pastelmogar

  * they’re what gets every couple together??
  * also where is Christine!!! my girlfriend?!!?!!



actualbird

  * CHRISTINE gets introduced to chloe and brooke super late when she visits and helps out rich (who she is ALSO meeting for the first time smh). like after the squipcident shes been looking around for a place where jeremy can work as an engineer again and also maybe sending tiny harmless but annoying computer viruses to anybody who sends jeremy emails referring to miichael as "an incredible machine!!"
  * and christine looks around and is like. wow! rich you have a lot of candles. and michael and jeremy have a lot of candles. and jenna too. whats. whats up with the candles
  * everybody: OH MY GO U NEED TO MEET BROOKE AND CHLOE
  * which is how christine goes home laden with 42 candles and a brunch outing with chloe and brooke because they are Delightful



pastelmogar

  * the Girls!!



actualbird

  * THE GORLS. jenna's known brooke and chloe since high school and she's also totally the one who tells michael to go check em out that first day michael has his Adventures



pastelmogar

  * AHHH THATS SO GOOD!!



actualbird

  * ALSO!!! jeremy totally gets a good job offer. one day he's going thru his email and he gets a new one and he skims it, almost deletes it because he sees the words "engineer" "impressive skill" "request" but then he stops and reads it and it's like
  * an invitation to maybe check out this small startup tech company. idk what they make yet but theyve just started and they heard about jeremy through the news but theyve also seen like, his work and experience and theyre geniunely offering him a job, if hes interested



pastelmogar

  * !!!!!
  * Jeremy’d Be so skittish that first day
  * Like
  * Jeremy has a name now?
  * people know who he is??
  * and so he doesn’t really know what to expect walking into this place
  * but everyone is just v nice??
  * and curious?
  * like they can’t really help it but they don’t harass him about what happened at the lab or about Michael or anything
  * I’m also realizing we never really figured out?? how Michael gets his old memories?



actualbird

  * THEYRE SO NICE. at the company most ppl would either ignore him or order him around bc he wasnt high rank yet but here theyre just like. okay heres what we're working on so far and we're new so it's pretty informal but youve got a workspace and we'll give u stuff but if youve got suggestions or ideas, feel free to say them!!
  * jeremy, unsure how to handle life working out for once: Wha----
  * ooooHHHH GOSHHHHHH
  * this would totally happen after the squipcident i think. like
  * back in the battle. where michael got hit. and then he rebooted. and forgot but then remembered
  * ever since then, he's been rebooting all the other stuff he forgot too
  * (michael's programming has learned how to /heal/ against all odds. the only people who know this is christine and jeremy because if that gets out, christ, theyll just get more weirdos)



pastelmogar

  * OHHH SHIT
  * aaaaa I’m glad Michael gets his memories back but also /oh god/



actualbird

  * it unfolds slowly. he's at the kitchen cutting some veg when he remembers being asked by a calm voice to "---open your hand, p1. good. close it. close it tighter. motor skills are looking good---" and he has to put the knife down and look at his shaking hands. open. close. close tighter
  * michael knows hes an android. hes made peace with that. but as the memories come in of early testing, motor skills, problem solving, conversation, all of it, he gets more and more uneasy. it's all "good job, p1." "its doing really well." he remembers a snapshot of a kind looking scientist in a lab coat and shes smiling at him. she says "youre going to change the world p1."



pastelmogar

  * AAAAAAAA



actualbird

  * "p1?" michael remembers saying. "thats my name right?"
  * "your model name, yes," she smiles.
  * "what's your model name?" he asks. and this isnt surprising. they programmed him to ask questions. a companion bot must be able to make conversation.
  * "im not a model," and her smile turns sad. a little worried. these questions are off program. this is new. p1 looks...confused. how does an android look confused? "im cora. cora mell."
  * "that sounds.....a lot nicer than p1." he says. "can i get a not-model name too?"
  * "i---" she jerks her head to the side. "i have to go. i need to shut you down now, but tell you what. i'll find some names, and you can pick one you like? deal?"
  * and michael smiles for the first time ever. the first time an android smiles /ever/. "deal."
  * help i made him a mom



pastelmogar

  * CORA!!!!
  * I LOVE HER
  * god, Michael would try to find her



actualbird

  * SKHFHDKHFSHDFHHHJHJHJK !!!! FUCK!!!!!
  * im altering the timline rn so that cora is still alive by the time michael is back online
  * this all now happens 20mumblemumble as long as a 20year old woman in 1973 is STILL ALIVE BECAUSE IM GONNA CRY IF SHES NOT



pastelmogar

  * SHES STILL ALIVE ITS JUST BEEN LIKE
  * 50 YEARS



actualbird

  * CORA MELL is the scientist who primarily tests michael's companion capability. she gives him a name. tries to tell michael to hide any off-program things. tries her best to make sure michael isnt shut down



pastelmogar

  * god, Michael gets this memory of her in his sleep
  * and he just wakes up, jolts out of idle
  * “I have a mom.”



actualbird

  * IM GONNA CRY!!!!!!!!
  * she fucking fights the company when they find out michael is glitched. she feels like he's her goddamn son by that point. so. they. fire her. shes given the rich treatment. sent off with money and an order to shut up



pastelmogar

  * she steps up when the company goes down
  * and when Michael’s humanity is called into question
  * Michael’s line of androids would have been very scarce to the public
  * they probably worried models of that same line would glitch similarly to Michael
  * and so only a few were ever really made
  * idk I just
  * I barely know Cora but I love her
  * she’d talk about what it was like testing out Michael’s companion skills
  * about how he’s Always been this human



actualbird

  * //sobbing into my chocolate milk.
  * yes oh god
  * btw cora married a lovely woman named juliet and they met when cora was exiled and she told jul about michael and they love each other and are gay
  * because i'll be damned if i dont give michael TWO (2) MOMS



pastelmogar

  * HE NEEDS TWO MOMS!!’



actualbird

  * THEMS THE RULES!!!
  * THEYD SET UP TO MEET. GOD GOD GOD



pastelmogar

  * god, Cora is a total surprise when the trial starts
  * And like u said, it’s not till after that they get to talk



actualbird

  * dfdsjkhhhfhfh michael kinda avoided the trial because it stressed him out and it technically doesnt concern him individually just. him as a Concept (because thats all he seems to be for some people) but
  * he watches cora's testimony. and he cant cry but he knows if he could, he would
  * and they set up to meet and michael is SO STUPIDLY NERVOUS
  * theyll meet at this cool cafe just a few blocks away from where they live and michael will bring jeremy because "JEREMY IM GONNA MEET MY MOM. AND HER WIFE. SO TECHNICALLY MY OTHER MOM. PLEASE I CANT DO THIS ALONE." and jeremy, internally is like, "this is a really weird 'meeting the parents' scenario"
  * and michael bakes banana bread and buys candles (rose scented) to give to cora and jul as like a "thank you for treating me like a person gift also i miss you"



pastelmogar

  * AAAAAAAA
  * HIS /MOMS/



actualbird

  * HIS!! MOMS!!! and idk if michael or jeremy or cora and jul were expecting anything in particular but just like
  * the moment michael walks into the cafe cora just. stands from her chair. walks up to him. and smiles. "there you are, michael."
  * they hug for like half an hour idk i made myself too emotional oh mygfdf



pastelmogar

  * Michael’s expression changes as soon as she says his name
  * like he can’t cry, but his whole face scrunches up and his eyes flutter and she’s shorter than him now where she wasn’t before but Michael still rests his head on her shoulder
  * Jeremy introduces himself to Juliet while Michael and Cora hug it out



actualbird

  * cora would laugh and shes crying and she'd say "look at how youve grown!!"
  * "you just got shorter!!"
  * "and you learned how to talk back, tsk tsk."
  * JEREMY



pastelmogar

  * God, Jeremy and Cora would be so into talking about engineering?



actualbird

  * "hi im uh. jeremy. im michael's uh--" //vague hand gesture. 
  * juliet just snorts because she's gay and has eyes and she's seen how jeremy's been looking at michael the entire time, like he's his entire world and says "im cora's //vague hand gesture too"
  * YYYYYEEESSSS
  * JEREMY MAYBE FANBOYS A LIL BC CORA IS ONE OF THE PIONEER ENGINEERS
  * and cora has seen jeremy's work and is like "youre gonna go places, young man"
  * and jeremy maybe dies



pastelmogar

  * like she’d def notice where Jeremy fixed
  * Michael and she’s gently poking him and like mumbles to herself like “what’s this boy done to you...”
  * like she wants to make sure her son is doing well



actualbird

  * HHHMMMPHHHH WHATS!!! THIS BOY DONE TO YOU!!! THAT BOY'S STOLEN UR BOY'S HEART THATS WHAT!!!



===  
  
11/21/2017  
  
[and then we moved to discord, thank god]  
  
actualbird - 11/21/2017

  * i give jeremy his dad too who visits from home when the Ruckus goes down . he helps them sue cuz he's a lawyer. But the most important thing in thinking about is Mr.heere meeting michael
  * and Michael is SOOOOOOO NERVOUS
  * YOUR DAD!!! YOUR DAD!!!!!
  * this is fair trade, i met your moms
  * BUT!!! YOUR FATHER!! PARENTAL UNIT!!



a big festive gay - 11/21/2017

  * you’ve barely said anything yet but I already love all of it
  * god, you’re right, Michael is So nervous to meet Jeremy’s dad
  * Mr. Heere would be...
  * awkward but well meaning



actualbird - 11/21/2017

  * michael researches cool kosher recipes to Impress him and Jeremy is just like //thinks about that one week dad survived only on pizza
  * //pats Michael's shoulder. He'll love you



a big festive gay - 11/21/2017

  * agaffsfjh
  * Mr. Heere is doing much better now but Holy Shit
  * Jeremy calls his dad up when the trial goes down
  * Like idk if it’s Jeremy that contacts his dad or vise versa
  * but Jeremy having to introduce him to Michael
  * Like Michael’s already made dinner
  * IM A MESS BUT
  * I’m imagining that Michael’s panicking like this during the trial when Mr. Heere comes by to help them
  * and so he’s already made dinner
  * “Michael, this is my dad, Joel.” 
  * “Dad, this is Michael, my-“
  * And Jeremy doesn’t know what to say



actualbird - 11/21/2017

  * SHDHGDHSHDJDJDJ



a big festive gay - 11/21/2017

  * bc Michael is...
  * A lot of things
  * his best friend, his roommate, his boyfriend
  * Michael steps up with a wide smile and shakes Joel’s hand. “His boyfriend, sir.”
  * and idk, Jeremy dies?



actualbird - 11/21/2017

  * HSHDHDHHDJDJJ



===  
  
11/26/2017  
[context: this tumblr post http://actualbird.tumblr.com/post/167878636647]  
a big festive gay - 11/26/2017

  * I just reblogged that one post!! asking “are computers alive?” and you mentioned it being about the android au and Oh Man
  * I see it as like? a propaganda poster, almost?



actualbird - 11/26/2017

  * AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA UR RIGHT. ABOUT THE POSTER!!!



a big festive gay - 11/26/2017

  * BUT I LOVE THE IDEA OF IT???
  * LIKE!!
  * idk, Michael’s line of androids is the first one to actually look human
  * and so a lot of people would probably get up about that?
  * about the extent to which they can feel?
  * their humanity, essentially
  * for a while, people would probably be protesting outside the building and shit
  * the public probably was a huge influence on the scientists shutting down Michael too, hnngg



actualbird - 11/26/2017

  * jHSDFKJ!! AAAA!!! OH GOD!!! YES!!
  * the company was already getting flack for designing a robot that looked incredibly human, and the moment the public learned about the possibility of AI instead of direct controls, they got even more aggressive
  * and in comes michael. AI and off program and so terrifyingly human



a big festive gay - 11/26/2017

  * exactly!!!
  * if they sold Michael?
  * if someone found out just how human he was
  * they’d get so much shit for it
  * they’d get good press, sure
  * maybe
  * but building a person is... a really big deal



actualbird - 11/26/2017

  * oh jesus thats totally why they just hide him



a big festive gay - 11/26/2017

  * and in the 1970’s that shit probably wouldn’t have been taken well



actualbird - 11/26/2017

  * scientist's basically predicted that if anybody finds out about michael, itd put a stop to the budding android manufacturing industry completely



a big festive gay - 11/26/2017

  * creating humanity would be something for later models, but the first?
  * too soon
  * not that they should really create humanity at all, but



actualbird - 11/26/2017

  * a very sad scene: michael sitting on the metal table where he always sits for evaluations. he's not allowed to go out but he can't stop himself from listening to the yelling happening outside. there's the voice he likes, cora, and another one. deeper. angry.
  * "we're shutting it down."
  * "you are not. he could change history as we know it."
  * "it is going to destroy everything we've been trying to build, all for what? a glitch?"
  * "he's alive. if you shut him down, you kill him. im not letting you do that."
  * michael covers his ears and looks at his leg bouncing up and down. if only they'd tell him what he was doing so wrong. he doesnt want to destroy anything. he just wants to wake up and talk and laugh, but he cant do that. because he's wrong.
  * now this makes me even sadder because when they do shut him down, michael isn't just pleading for them to stop. he'll also say stuff like i can be better, please just tell me how im supposed to be, please dont do this, please
  * which is why he's so adamant about only being himself when he's back online. he works to love it. works to accept that theres nothing wrong with him. just different, and thats not bad, no matter what other people have to say about it



a big festive gay - 11/26/2017

  * hey bird, what the FuCK?
  * YOU KILL ME!??!!?
  * AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
  * I actually Love...
  * Idk, Michael in canon already loves himself
  * or at least is okay with who he is
  * and would legit have No reason to get a squip
  * unless it was to get together with Jeremy, and even then, I honestly don’t think he would take one
  * but in this au, Michael actually seeing the appeal of a squip
  * of someone who can help you be better, be wonderful
  * who can fix you
  * and he having to unlearn all of that
  * and just accept himself for who he is
  * is Very good
  * that’s some good character development
  * idk, it’s just very good
  * IM AT 3% AAAAA



actualbird - 11/26/2017

  * SHFJDKFJSDK CHARGE UR PHONE!! OR REST



a big festive gay - 11/26/2017

  * pray for my battery life, audushh



actualbird - 11/26/2017

  * I WILL!!! i will also pray for michael mell who learns to accept himself
  * it's hard to think you're wrong(tm)
  * when he has somebody like jeremy smiling at him every day



a big festive gay - 11/26/2017

  * Jeremy adores Michael, wtf...
  * he was fascinated with Michael from the beginning, thought him a miracle and it was probably such a shock to Michael who had only ever been told he was a mistake



**Author's Note:**

> art for this au is welcome!! fic for this au is welcome too but come check with either of us first!!
> 
> mckinzie is [pastelmogar](http://pastelmogar.tumblr.com/) on tumblr and bird is [actualbird](http://actualbird.tumblr.com/) on tumblr. we both have this au tagged on our blogs as ''android au'' and theres more content there!! if ur interested in this au hit us up!! if you have questions or anything to say, our ask is open and the comments are too!!
> 
> we both hope you had fun!!!


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